There are two types of Nuclear Power: Pressurized Water Systems and Boiling Water Systems
Pressurized Water systems use a single fuel element which heats uranium to generate steam
This steam then turns a turbine which generates energy
The steam is then recondensed into water, which can be reheated
Boiling water systems also use a single fuel element which boils the water
This steam then turns a turbine which generates energy
The steam is then recondensed into water, which can be reheated
The fuel element is Uranium 235, which is an enriched uranium isotope
This means it is more radioactive, and takes thousands of years even after exhausted to lose its radioactivity
Both systems need to be closed to be refueled
Why It's Good:
Energy is produced through fission, not the burning of fossil fuels
As a result, there is not pollution of nitrogen, sulfur, dust, CO2, or other greenhouse gases
When it is implemented, it can reduce emissions by 128 trillion tons per year
Example: France
From the years 1980-1986, France tripled their Nuclear production
Sulfur emissions dropped 71%
Nitrogen emissions dropped 60%
Total pollution dropped 80%-90%
US Department of Energy states that a switch to nuclear power is the most effective emission control strategy
In the US, nuclear energy avoids the emission of 700 million metric tons of CO2
Worldwide, 2.5 billion tons of CO2 emissions are avoided
Nuclear Power is a renewable resource
While the uranium supply is not infinite, there is enough of it to last for thousands of years
The water used to generate steam can be reused in the reactors
Acid Rain Program
21 States from the years 1990-1995 showed a 16.4% increase of nuclear generation
These states avoided 480,000 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions, a leading cause of acid rain
Why It's Bad:
o Waste
o Terrorism
o Cost
o Requires larger capital cost because of emergencies that could occur, containment, etc.
o Nuclear proliferation issue
Major Events That Occurred With Nuclear Energy:
Three Mile Island Accident
o It occurred in 1979 near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
o A cooling malfunction caused part of the nuclear core to melt, but it was mostly contained, yet some radioactive gas was released
o There were no radiological health effects; they kept tabs on people that were located around the power plant for 18 years, but they came up with nothing Three Mile Island Background Chernobyl Disaster
o Happened on April 26, 1986 in Ukraine (at that point it was part of the Soviet Union)
o The only level 7 disaster: “major accident”, there were widespread health and environmental effects
o Reactor four in the plant exploded
o During this explosion, there was four hundred times more fall out in this explosion than released in Hiroshima
o Fires burned for two weeks
o Sweden was the first country to detect a problem after workers in their power plant detected nuclear gas in the air
o Ukraine did not evacuate the neighboring city Pripyat right away. They only evacuated after they realized the major effects that the explosion began to have on people
o There was a radioactive cloud over all of Europe, excluding the Iberian Peninsula
o 237 people suffered from acute radiation poisoning, 31 of them died within the first three months Chernobyl Disaster
However, no disasters have ever caused fatalities on Western Soil, and no radiation has ever been leaked.
Update (2/16/10): President Obama in his recent budget announcement stated that 8 billion dollars have been alloted for the building of two new nuclear plant in Georgia.
These two plants will reduce CO2 emissions by 16 million tons a year
54.4 billion dollars of future loans are available for new nuclear plants
Graph · Dark blue: U-238 · Red: U-235 · U-238 is the most abundant in nature · But, we want to use the U-235, so we split the atoms in order to enrich the U-235
It costs between 5.1 cents and 8.3 cents per kilowatt hour to produce nuclear electricity. That compares with the following:
- 3.7 cents to 4.8 cents per kilowatt hour for energy produced by coal.
- 3.5 cents to 4.8 cents per kilowatt hour for natural gas
- 9.1 cents per kilowatt hour for pertroleum
- 20.2 cents to 30.8 cents per kilowatt hour for solar.
- 5.5 cents and 7.7 cents per kilowatt hour for wind.
Nuclear Energy
http://files.myopera.com/velmu/blog/nuclear-power-plant-9igh.jpg
There are two types of Nuclear Power: Pressurized Water Systems and Boiling Water Systems
Why It's Good:
Why It's Bad:
o Waste
o Terrorism
o Cost
o Requires larger capital cost because of emergencies that could occur, containment, etc.
o Nuclear proliferation issue
Major Events That Occurred With Nuclear Energy:
Three Mile Island Accident
o It occurred in 1979 near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
o A cooling malfunction caused part of the nuclear core to melt, but it was mostly contained, yet some radioactive gas was released
o There were no radiological health effects; they kept tabs on people that were located around the power plant for 18 years, but they came up with nothing
Three Mile Island Background
Chernobyl Disaster
o Happened on April 26, 1986 in Ukraine (at that point it was part of the Soviet Union)
o The only level 7 disaster: “major accident”, there were widespread health and environmental effects
o Reactor four in the plant exploded
o During this explosion, there was four hundred times more fall out in this explosion than released in Hiroshima
o Fires burned for two weeks
o Sweden was the first country to detect a problem after workers in their power plant detected nuclear gas in the air
o Ukraine did not evacuate the neighboring city Pripyat right away. They only evacuated after they realized the major effects that the explosion began to have on people
o There was a radioactive cloud over all of Europe, excluding the Iberian Peninsula
o 237 people suffered from acute radiation poisoning, 31 of them died within the first three months
Chernobyl Disaster
However, no disasters have ever caused fatalities on Western Soil, and no radiation has ever been leaked.
Update (2/16/10): President Obama in his recent budget announcement stated that 8 billion dollars have been alloted for the building of two new nuclear plant in Georgia.
Graph
· Dark blue: U-238
· Red: U-235
· U-238 is the most abundant in nature
· But, we want to use the U-235, so we split the atoms in order to enrich the U-235
http://www.neis.org/Nuke%20News/Clippings/What%20Does%20it%20Cost.shtml?AID=/20060217/NEWS/602170330&SearchID=73236151832506
It costs between 5.1 cents and 8.3 cents per kilowatt hour to produce nuclear electricity. That compares with the following:
- 3.7 cents to 4.8 cents per kilowatt hour for energy produced by coal.
- 3.5 cents to 4.8 cents per kilowatt hour for natural gas
- 9.1 cents per kilowatt hour for pertroleum
- 20.2 cents to 30.8 cents per kilowatt hour for solar.
- 5.5 cents and 7.7 cents per kilowatt hour for wind.